Jeff Bridges

The once and future Dude -- from which hit film did he get that moniker? -- snagged an Oscar and sudden musical cred with his performance as Bad Blake, a dissolute country singer whose battle for redemption drove 2009's "Crazy Heart." His impact as an actor was no surprise to critics or fans, but his performances of original songs from producer T-Bone Burnett, Ryan Bingham and the late Stephen Bruton, a seasoned Texas guitarist and songwriter, were a revelation to moviegoers, yielding a hit soundtrack album. In real life, Bridges has been writing and playing music for decades, and even launched a label, Ramp, in partnership with Michael McDonald. But Bad Blake has been very good for Bridges: The success of "Crazy Heart" led him to reunite with Burnett to record his self-titled debut for Blue Note, released this month, with Bridges supporting the album with intimate live shows.

Read MSN's new interview with Bridges

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© Dustin Cohen